Developed by: Alternat ive Consult ing, LLC

For: Maryville Treatment Centers

2011 Copyright- Alternat ive Consult ing, LLC

MEDICATIONS &

CO-OCCURRING DISORDERS

Medicat ions can: Prevent illnesses, combat

diseases and fight infect ion Relieve pain and other

symptoms Speed recovery from illnesses,

surgery, dental w ork, etc Control disorders, such as

diabetes, ulcers, etc Treat mental health disorders,

such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia

Medicat ions can also have risks. There may be:

Side effects

Unexpected interact ions betw een some of the medicat ions

Drug dependence

DEPRESSION Depression is a serious medical

condit ion.

Everyone experiences "ups" and "dow ns“.

Problems w ith everyday act ivit ies such as eat ing, sleeping, w orking, and gett ing along w ith friends may be indicat ions of depression.

Depression affects a person's physical health, as w ell as how he or she feels, thinks, and acts tow ard others.

I t br ings about a m ixture of feelings

and thoughts that can cause som eone to depart from his or her usual behavior.

Depression is very com m on — it affects

an est im ated 1 9 m illion Am erican adults every year.

Nearly tw ice as m any w om en ( 6 .5 % )

as m en ( 3 .3 % ) suffer from depression each year.

CAUSES OF DEPRESSION May be due to a chemical imbalance in the

brain. Serotonin and norepinephrine are 2 chemicals

used by some nerve cells to communicate. These chemicals, called neurotransmitters, are thought to be linked to depression.

Medicat ions that affect these

neurotransmitters may play a role in treat ing depression.

A person may experience symptoms of

depression suddenly, for no apparent reason, or after a life-changing event or medical illness.

Some types of depression run in families,

suggest ing that a biological vulnerability.

T here are several types of medicat ions for the treatment of depression:

Tricyclics 1 . Used to t reat severe depression

MAOI 1 . Used for atypical depression

2 . For other resistant

depressions

SSRI

1 . Has few er and less

severe side- effects

Some examples of medicat ions are:

MAOI s

1. Elavil

2. Nardil

TRI CYCLI CS

1. Marplan

2. Sinequan

3. Pamelor

SSRI s

1. Celexa

2. Prozac

3. Zoloft

4. Paxil

OTHERS

1. Wellbut r in

2. Effexor

Some of the side effects

that might occur:

Dizziness

Drow siness

Dry Mouth

Weight Gain Rapid Pulse Const ipat ion

Blurred V ision

Schizophrenia is a major mental illness. The follow ing are some of the symptoms that may be noted:

Hallucinat ions

Delusions

Obsessions

Distorted thinking

Strong fears

Difficulty communicat ing

Unusual moods or act ions

Medicat ions used to treat

schizophrenia are

neurolept ics

or ant ipsychotics. Some

common examples are:

CLOZAPINE

RISPERDAL

ZYPREXA

HALDOL

Some of the side effects from these

medicat ions include:

Minor: dry mouth, drow siness, blurred vision, dizziness

Major: extreme rest lessness, sudden muscle spasms & st iffness (can be life threatening)

Tardive dyskinesia: involuntary muscle movements, can become permanent

A Bipolar diagnosis is one of

the mood disorders.

Symptoms may be:

Severe highs and low s

Depression

Anger

Suicidal thoughts or act ions

Psychotic state

The medicat ions used to treat mood

disorders are called mood stabilizers. These

medicat ions are used to help the pat ient to

experience less fluctuat ions in mood and

behavior. The follow ing are some examples:

DEPAKOTE

LITHIUM

LUVOX

NEURONTIN

TEGRETOL

TOPAMAX

Some of the side effects

that might occur:

Blurred vision Diarrhea Increased thirst & urinat ion Seizures Weight gain OVERDOSE:

Life threatening emergency

The follow ing are examples of anxiety disorders:

Generalized anxiety disorder

Post traumatic stress disorder

Panic

Phobia

Obsessive-compulsive disorders

T here are three types of ant i-anxiety medicat ions.

Benzodiazepines:

T hese medicat ions w ork on the central nervous system

Xanax

Librium

Klonopin

Valium

Ativan

Beta-blockers:

T hese medicat ions w ork on the central nervous system to reduce the fight /flight sensat ion

Inderal

Others:

T hese medicat ions w ork on the brain through the serotonin system to induce calm

BuSpar

Atarax

Zyprexa

Some of the side effects

that might occur:

Depression Drow siness Light headed Dry mouth Weight gain Mental slow ing or confusion Suppressed breathing

Potent ia l for abuse w ith

benzodiazepines:

Betw een 11 – 15% of the general populat ion take ant i-anxiety meds

Benzodiazepines cause physical

dependence if taken longer than 6 months

Past history of abusing ant i-anxiety medicat ions or opiate users are at high risk of abusing these medicat ions

Alcohol dependent persons are at

moderately higher risk than the general populat ion

Abrupt w ithdraw al can be life threatening

ADDICTION TREATMENT MEDICATIONS

T here are several medicat ions that are used in the treatment of addict ion.

ANTI-ALCOHOLIC (used to block effect of a lcohol; usually causes nausea & vomit ing)

Antabuse

V ivatrol

OPIATE BLOCKER (used to block effects of heroin)

ReVia

PARTIAL OPIATE BLOCKER (used to block effects of heroin)

Suboxone

OPIATE MAINTENANCE (used to block effects of heroin)

Methadone

The purpose of the medicat ions is to

Reduce cravings: for both alcohol and heroin

Aversion therapy: use of a lcohol w ith medicat ion makes pat ient ill

Blocks pleasurable reinforcement: part ia l and total opiate blockers

Withdraw al: reduces the effect of heroin w ithdraw al

Some of the side effects

that might occur: ANTABUSE indigest ion jaundice liver inflammation skin rashes OPIATE BLOCKERS diarrhea dizziness nausea severe anxiety

MANAGING MEDICATIONS Encourage the client

to know w hat

medicat ions they are

taking and w hy

Encourage the client

to not stop taking

medicat ions or

change the dosage

w ithout ta lk ing to the

doctor, even if feeling

better

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